Student-run Restaurant Reopens with New Menu at UH Hilton College

Barron’s, the student-run restaurant at the University of
Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, is set to
reopen for the fall 2012 semester with a brand-new menu.

The bistro-inspired fare includes a wide variety of
delicious options—such as chicken artichoke pesto pizza, parmesan-crusted
tilapia and spinach Caprese salad—all at prices sure to fit any budget. In
fact, nothing on the Barron’s menu exceeds $8.

But
Barron’s isn’t just a great place for a lunchtime bargain; it’s actually a lab
where Hilton College students learn the ins and outs of running a restaurant.
Students manage every aspect of the operation, filling roles ranging from
general manager, to executive chef, to line cook, to server.

The
restaurant is staffed by two classes—Food and Beverage Service, a
freshman-level course, and Advanced Food and Beverage Management—a capstone
course for students concentrating in restaurant management.

Lecturer
Kristi Baker, who teaches both courses, said the goal is for her students to
learn professionalism and service-industry standards in a fast-paced, realistic
environment.

“When
guests come to Barron’s, they can expect their food to be made-to-order and
fresh. They can also expect good service and a quality meal that looks and
tastes great,” Baker said.

Baker and
her graduate assistants collaborated on the new menu, with consultations from
Hilton University of Houston Executive Chef Abbas Jaffari and managers from the
hotel’s restaurant, Eric’s.

“I wanted
to take the restaurant in a new direction; from a casual diner to something
with more of an upscale feel. I want the students to have something they are
proud of, from the way the menu looks, to how professionally they are dressed,
to the amazing food they'll be serving to the guests,” Baker said.

Barron’s,
which has been a student-run operation since 1989, is located on the first
floor of Hilton College’s South Wing next to the Cougar Grounds coffee shop. It
will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Sept.
18 through Nov. 19. It will reopen in February for the spring semester. To view
Barron’s new menu, visit this link: http://www.hrm.uh.edu/default/documents/Barron%27sMenu2012.pdf